LOS ANGELES -- Hollywood is prone to superlatives, but this one is truly jaw dropping: American Sniper, which arrived in wide release last Friday, sold about $107 million in tickets in North America over the four-day holiday weekend.
While America's coastal intelligentsia busied itself with chatter over little-seen art dramas such as Boyhood and Birdman, everyday Americans showed up en masse for a patriotic, pro-family picture that played more like a summer superhero blockbuster than an R-rated war drama with six Oscar nominations.
Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Bradley Cooper, American Sniper joins another unexpected hit, Angelina Jolie's Unbroken, in turning out a conservative, heartland crowd that surprised Hollywood in its size. "Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico -- all absolutely massive," said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution at Warner Bros., which released American Sniper.
But unlike Unbroken, Eastwood's film has also been nominated for best picture at the Oscars. Until now, the best picture race, with small films like Birdman and Boyhood in the running, has been sorely missing a breakout hit -- considered a crucial factor for the ratings success of the ceremony, which will be broadcast Feb. 22.
Columbia's comedy The Wedding Ringer was in third place for the weekend, meeting studio projections with about $24 million.
The film follows Doug Harris (Josh Gad), a lovable but awkward groom-to-be without a best man. He hires Jimmy Callahan (Kevin Hart), whose company provides a flattering best man for the guy in need.
With no other family films in the mix, Paddington, released by Weinstein Co., was No. 2 with about $25 million.
Taken 3, last week's box-office winner, was in fourth place and added about $17 million. The Liam Neeson film has made about $66 million to date.
American Sniper, which received reviews that were strong but not euphoric, was adapted from a best-selling autobiography of the same name by Chris Kyle, a member of the Navy SEALs who was credited with enough confirmed kills in Iraq and Afghanistan to rank as the most deadly sniper in U.S. history. Kyle was killed in 2013 at a Texas gun range by an emotionally troubled veteran he was trying to help.
Making American Sniper look even better: Fellow box office newcomer Blackhat debuted at No. 11 with a paltry $4.5 million. The action-thriller, directed by Michael Mann and starring Chris Hemsworth, cost Legendary Entertainment an estimated $70 million to make and was released by Universal Pictures.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday weekend, however, also brought a reminder that social media attention does not always translate into ticket sales. Selma, another best picture nominee, took in a quiet $14 million over the four-day period. Selma became the center of a heated conversation about a lack of racial diversity when the Oscar nominations were announced Jan. 15.
The Imitation Game, also a best picture nominee that played in far fewer theaters, garnered about $8 million.
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Monday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Tuesday by Rentrak:
American Sniper, Warner Bros., $107,007,215, 3,555 locations, $30,100 average, $110,431,993, four weeks.
Paddington, The Weinstein Co., $25,494,139, 3,303 locations, $7,718 average, $25,494,139, one week.
The Wedding Ringer, Columbia, $24,042,152, 3,003 locations, $8,006 average, $24,042,152, one week.
Taken 3, 20th Century Fox, $17,052,567, 3,594 locations, $4,745 average, $65,839,484, two weeks.
Selma, Paramount, $13,850,087, 2,235 locations, $6,197 average, $31,514,117, four weeks.
Into the Woods, Disney, $8,705,610, 2,758 locations, $3,156 average, $116,459,279, four weeks.
The Imitation Game, The Weinstein Co., $8,016,134, 1,611 locations, $4,976 average, $51,622,442, eight weeks.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Warner Bros., $5,979,302, 2,220 locations, $2,693 average, $245,656,417, five weeks.
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, 20th Century Fox, $5,286,986, 2,437 locations, $2,169 average, $106,235,092, five weeks.
Unbroken, Universal, $5,022,265, 2,602 locations, $1,930 average, $109,364,895, four weeks.
Blackhat, Universal, $4,491,010, 2,567 locations, $1,750 average, $4,491,010, one week.
Annie, Columbia, $2,991,855, 1,585 locations, $1,888 average, $83,171,867, five weeks.
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1, Lionsgate, $2,287,297, 1,221 locations, $1,873 average, $332,930,936, nine weeks.
The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death, Relativity Media, $1,944,380, 1,392 locations, $1,397 average, $25,131,953, three weeks.
Birdman, Fox Searchlight, $1,870,471, 471 locations, $3,971 average, $28,596,464, 14 weeks.
Wild, Fox Searchlight, $1,735,872, 764 locations, $2,272 average, $33,291,325, seven weeks.
Spare Parts, Lionsgate, $1,610,714, 440 locations, $3,661 average, $1,610,714, one week.
Big Hero 6, Disney, $1,596,968, 739 locations, $2,161 average, $216,615,498, 11 weeks.
Inherent Vice, Warner Bros., $1,364,597, 653 locations, $2,090 average, $6,680,541, six weeks.
Foxcatcher, Sony Pictures Classics, $1,186,187, 759 locations, $1,563 average, $10,111,447, 10 weeks.
MovieStyle on 01/23/2015